The present invention provides a new motorized bulk, dry foods dispensing apparatus and system for commercial, retail and home use designed to dispense a predetermined volume of dry bulk food into a bowl or other receptacle without crushing or breaking the food. The bulk food dispenser includes a hopper, a feed house including two or more openings, and a feed wheel located within the feed house, where the feed wheel further includes a plurality of protrusions for directing a solid material out of the hopper when the feed wheel is rotated mechanically via a motor, where at least one of the two or more openings receive the solid material directed by a baffle, and where at least one of the two or more openings dispense the solid material out of the feed house.

A bulk food product gravity-feed dispenser includes a compartment configured to receive and store bulk food material. A valve separates the compartment from an outlet. The valve operates to open and close to selectively permit bulk food material to pass from the compartment through the outlet. An electromechanical motor is communicatively connected to a controller and mechanically connected to the valve. The controller operates in response to receipt of a dispense instruction input to produce a control signal to the electromechanical motor. The electromechanical motor operates to move the valve between a closed position and an open position to dispense a portion of the bulk food material.

A bulk food product gravity-feed dispenser includes a compartment configured to receive and store bulk food material. A valve separates the compartment from an outlet. The valve operates to open and close to selectively permit bulk food material to pass from the compartment through the outlet. An electromechanical motor is communicatively connected to a controller and mechanically connected to the valve. The controller operates in response to receipt of a dispense instruction input to produce a control signal to the electromechanical motor. The electromechanical motor operates to move the valve between a closed position and an open position to dispense a portion of the bulk food material.

A dispenser (100, 500, 900) for granules is disclosed herein. In a specific embodiment, the dispenser comprises a granular reservoir (1); a selector disk comprising (a) a feeder disk (2, 22, 52) comprising at least one protruding member (3, 23); and (b) a dispensing disk (8, 58) arranged to rotate in concert with the feeder disk (2, 22, 52). The dispensing disk further comprises at least one dispensing aperture (9) and a non-dispensing portion (103), the at least one dispensing aperture (9) being in registration with the at least one protruding member (3, 23). The dispenser (100, 500, 900) further comprises a holding disk (4, 94) comprising at least one through-hole (5) sandwiched between the feeder disk (2, 22, 52) and the dispensing disk (8, 58) and fixedly mounted with respect to the granular reservoir (1), wherein the selector disk is rotatable relative to the holding disk (4, 94) and the granular reservoir (1) between a first position in which the at least one protruding member (3, 23) is offset from the at least one through-hole (5) to allow a granule to be received from the granular reservoir and held within the at least one through-hole (5) by the non-dispensing portion (103) of the dispensing disk (8, 58) and a second position in which the at least one protruding member (3, 23) occludes the at least one through-hole (5) to allow the granule held in the at least one through-hole to dispense through the at least one dispensing aperture (9). Methods of dispensing granules using the dispenser (100, 500, 900) are also disclosed.

A powder dispenser generally includes a reservoir adapted to contain a powder, a rotor disposed within the reservoir, a plate, and an engagement member. The rotor is configured to rotate about an axis and engage the powder within the reservoir. The plate is positioned below the rotor and defines a slot configured to receive the powder as the rotor rotates about the axis. The plate is arranged to rotate relative about the axis. The engagement member is aligned with at least one opening and is configured to extend into the slot defined in the plate. The engagement member is configured to direct a volume of the powder from the slot into the at least one opening as the plate rotates. The volume of the powder is dispensed through the opening as the plate rotates.

A powder dispenser generally includes a reservoir adapted to contain a powder, a rotor disposed within the reservoir, a plate, and an engagement member. The rotor is configured to rotate about an axis and engage the powder within the reservoir. The plate is positioned below the rotor and defines a slot configured to receive the powder as the rotor rotates about the axis. The plate is arranged to rotate relative about the axis. The engagement member is aligned with at least one opening and is configured to extend into the slot defined in the plate. The engagement member is configured to direct a volume of the powder from the slot into the at least one opening as the plate rotates. The volume of the powder is dispensed through the opening as the plate rotates.

The invention is a dispensing module for use in delivering measured doses of feed supplement to an animal. It comprises a storage container for holding the supplement and a metering module that is rotatably connected to the storage container for dispensing a measured (pre-determined) dose of the supplement. The dispensing module is adapted to be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration. In the open configuration, the measured dose of the supplement is able to be dispensed out of the dispensing module. In the closed configuration, the measured dose of the supplement is prevented from being be dispensed out of the dispensing module. Compressed air can be used to send the dose to an outlet when the dispensing module is closed.

The invention is a dispensing module for use in delivering measured doses of feed supplement to an animal. It comprises a storage container for holding the supplement and a metering module that is rotatably connected to the storage container for dispensing a measured (pre-determined) dose of the supplement. The dispensing module is adapted to be moved between an open configuration and a closed configuration. In the open configuration, the measured dose of the supplement is able to be dispensed out of the dispensing module. In the closed configuration, the measured dose of the supplement is prevented from being be dispensed out of the dispensing module. Compressed air can be used to send the dose to an outlet when the dispensing module is closed.

A device, system, and method are provided for grinding, dispensing, and packaging a granular material into a receptacle to be obtained by a user. The device can include: a user interface; a canister comprising a dispensing mechanism and a grinder; a packaging system configured to physically manipulate and position a receptacle within the device, thereby eliminating the need for manual handling by the user; a receptacle-storage configured to house a plurality of receptacles and from which the packaging system can obtain a receptacle; a capping station configured to apply a covering onto a filled receptacle to prevent spillage and waste; an inventory database to store inventory information; a communication system to facilitate internet connectivity; and a recommendation system to recommend various recipes to the user. The description also discloses a system of interconnected kiosks for automatically grinding, dispensing, and packaging granular materials.

A spice dispensing device is provided for an automatic meal preparation apparatus. The device uses a replaceable cartridge containing a volume of spice for dispensing in predetermined volumetric doses. A dispensing mechanism is built in to the cartridge for isolating the predetermined volumetric dose and moving it toward an opening in the bottom of the cartridge. The cartridge is sized and shaped to be placed into the automatic meal preparation apparatus in a rack for containing a plurality of such cartridges. The cartridge is alignable with a position in the rack in which the spice dose can be dispensed directly into a cooking vessel of the apparatus.